Another round of change in order at LCBO

I worked part-time at an LCBO store during high school — the drinking age was 18 and there was Grade 13 back in those dark ages — and through university.
I learned a few things, beyond where the biggest parties in the city were taking place every night.
Bottom line, customers were not big fans of the rule-heavy, state-run booze shops, even when we shifted to self serve. Filling-out-forms/stocks-in-the back retailing would be saved for Consumers Distributing and The Beer Store.
More restrictions have since been lifted. Hours go beyond 6 p.m. on Saturdays and stores open on Sundays.
Heck, Stouffville didn’t even have a liquor store into the 1960s.
Now, we’re well served by a large, modern store with knowledgeable staff, a vintages section and even refrigerators for some items.
We may not enjoy the prices but we do like the $1.63 billion the LCBO turned over to the province in 2011. Call it a luxury tax, as optional as 6/49 tickets.
Don’t expect Stouffville to meet the criteria for one of 10 express liquor stores announced last week. They’ll go into supermarkets in under-serviced communities, unlike this one.
But this town and every other municipality in Mr. McGuinty’s province deserves more choice, including cold beer and wine in variety and grocery stores.
The arguments against are dated and hard to swallow.
Corner store clerks and supermarket cashiers can be trained and certified to check for ID just like waiters and bartenders are now.
Are Ontarians less mature than residents of other jurisdictions around the globe? No.
Will we have to wait for the provincial Tories to come to power for it to be a reality? Probably.Jim Mason is editor of The Sun-Tribune.